


Our Own Little Piney Oasis

by cmere



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-08
Updated: 2013-08-08
Packaged: 2017-12-22 20:36:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/917760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmere/pseuds/cmere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cecil takes Carlos to Night Vale's beach.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Own Little Piney Oasis

**Author's Note:**

> This is some serious fluff! Thanks to reallycorking for the idea.

Cecil is trying to play it cool, but it’s hard. He’s tipsy on dollar beers from Big Rico’s (Carlos had just as many, but he doesn’t seem as affected by them, which Cecil finds both frustrating and worthy of admiration), and just a moment ago, Carlos had reached out and taken his hand—not in that awkward, stiff-palmed, parent with a tiny child crossing the street kind of way, but slowly intertwining their fingers, one of his, then one of Carlos’; one of his, then one of Carlos’. They fit together loosely but precisely. Cecil is terrified his palms are sweating. Carlos hasn’t made any comments about it, so maybe it’s okay.

“So,” Carlos says. Cecil waits for him to finish his thought before realizing that he’s waiting for Cecil to say something.

“So!” he squeaks, and then flushes in shame. He always manages to sound like an idiot in front of Carlos, who always sounds _so_ smart. “Have you been to the beach yet?”

“There’s a beach?” Carlos says. “In the middle of the desert?”

“Well, there’s no water,” Cecil says. “But it’s near where they’re constructing the drawbridge.”

“Will you show me?” Carlos asks, and Cecil’s heart speeds up.

“We’re not far,” Cecil says, veering to the left as they approach the intersection and tugging at Carlos’ hand. “Have you seen the new drawbridge? I haven’t stopped by, but I hear they’re building it out of pine cones that are being shipped in from Canada. Can you believe that? It’s going to be so beautiful! Like our own little piney oasis.” Cecil knows he’s rambling, but it’s the only way he can stop himself from collapsing in a pile of nervous energy on the sidewalk. The City Council frowns upon that, as it’s very difficult to clean up.

“On the beach,” Carlos says with a smile, and Cecil can’t stop gazing up at him. He feels lit from within when Carlos smiles.

“On the beach.” Cecil smiles a little too. 

They walk in silence for a couple minutes before arriving at the drawbridge construction site. It’s spooky in the dark, Cecil decides, with the colors of the night sky leaving shapes and patterns that cannot be explained. He grips Carlos’ hand tighter. Carlos squeezes back.

“Here we are,” Cecil says, gesturing grandly with his free hand at the half-built pine cone drawbridge and the expanse of beach beyond. “Do you want to sit on the beach for a while?”

Carlos nods. “I miss the beach. I always lived by the water before I came here,” he confesses, and Cecil’s eyes widen. Carlos almost never talks about where he’s from.

“There’s a swimming pool at the community center,” Cecil says, trying to be helpful. “It’s filled with water on Tuesdays and Saturdays.”

“What is it filled with on the other days?”

“Depends on what the employees are in the mood for. Jello, acid, rubbing alcohol, chicken noodle soup, that kind of thing.”

Carlos lets out a bark of a laugh. “I don’t know why I still get surprised.”

“It’s always water on Tuesdays and Saturdays, though. I can guarantee you that.”

They sit down on the soft, white sand, and Cecil reluctantly lets go of Carlos’ hand. Carlos lies back, stretching his arms up before they come to rest folded underneath his head, eyes closed. Cecil watches him, his eyes widening as they take in a small strip of Carlos’ bare belly where his shirt is riding up. He feels his face flush and he almost wants to pull Carlos’ shirt down just so that he won’t be distracted. How is he supposed to hold a conversation when more perfect, previously unseen parts of Carlos are being revealed?

Cecil shakes his head to clear it. He lies down, too, even though he doesn’t like the idea of getting sand all over his clothes and up his shirt and down his pants. He just wants to be close to Carlos. 

“This is nice,” Carlos murmurs, his eyes still closed. “I can almost hear the waves.”

Cecil turns on his side and props himself up on one elbow, watching him. His eyes dart down to Carlos’ bared stomach again before forcing himself to look only at Carlos’ perfect face and perfect hair. _Kiss him,_ Cecil tells himself. _Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him._ He doesn’t. 

Carlos’ eyes blink open slowly and he smiles at Cecil. 

“Come here,” he says, letting one arm fall to the side, and Cecil snuggles up against him, resting his head on Carlos’ shoulder. Carlos’ arm wraps around him and his fingers trace lazy shapes into the broad expanse of his back. Cecil is still overwhelmed by Carlos touching him like this, even though it’s not the first time, or even the second or third. He had never known before the intense pleasure he could experience from the simple act of fingertips moving across his back, or arm, or knee.

Cecil lets his own hand snake out across Carlos’ stomach, and he bites his lip and squeezes his eyes shut as his fingers trail across that bare strip of skin. Carlos presses a soft, dry kiss to Cecil’s forehead and Cecil’s entire body starts to shake.

“Are you okay?” Carlos whispers.

“I’m happy,” Cecil whispers back, trying to control himself and failing. Carlos’ arm tightens around him and Cecil looks up at him, terrified.

Carlos is smiling. Cecil exhales.

“I love this beach,” Carlos declares, and as though to prove it, he tilts his head down and kisses Cecil right on the mouth. Cecil curls into him, still trembling. He brings his hand up to Carlos’ cheek to steady himself.

They kiss like that for a while, slow and sweet, not moving otherwise except for Carlos’ thumb rubbing circles in Cecil’s spine. When Carlos finally pulls back, Cecil feels boneless. Carlos is staring at him with the most tender, loving expression that Cecil has ever seen, and he feels heat rising on his cheeks. He allows himself to slide his hand through Carlos’ hair. Carlos’ eyes flutter shut.

Cecil takes advantage of this to gather his courage and he leans forward, pressing his lips to Carlos’ again. He can feel Carlos smile against his mouth.

“Hey, Cecil?” 

“Uh huh?”

“I’m happy, too.”


End file.
